Mortal Mage

Taihe Palace, the emperor's bedroom,

"Your Majesty, this old man...is already in a trance, his mind is unstable, and he has not slept for many days."

Li Xucheng, with dark bags under his eyes and chains all over his body, squatted beside the toilet on one side of the bedroom. He held a top-grade spirit stone in one hand and made finger gestures with the other. Wisps of golden spirit mist from the yellow spirit stone floated out along his fingertips and were then guided around the toilet by him.

"Xiao Feizi, pour him some wine."

Zhang Mingxuan walked back and forth in the bedroom, his eyes wandering around; "Xiao Feizi, where is my rice paper painting?"

Xiao Feizi was holding the glass wine bottle. When she heard the question, her fingers trembled slightly and she spilled two drops of wine from the jade bowl. "Your Majesty, I have never seen this before."

"You better be careful, there is only half a bottle of Nine Yang Immortal Dew Wine left to integrate the Canglang Continent." Li Xucheng scolded while holding the chains.

"Strange." Zhang Mingxuan was still searching on the ground.

-

One thousand five hundred miles west of Taihe City.

"The Queen and the Emperor have issued an order! The army will rest for three hours."

The two million Tianze troops were stationed all over the mountains and plains.

The light smoke from the army gathered into mist in the air.

"Empress, there is news from the spies in the palace."

"speak."

A gentle voice sounded.

"According to spies, Zhang Mingxuan has set up a trap in the bedroom of Taihe Palace that can trap a third-level Qi Refining cultivator."

Yuyun was sitting at the edge of the slope, sipping a roasted poultry leg, while Yeyu was squatting beside the campfire behind him, roasting another poultry.

"There is also a picture."

With her other hand, Yun took the origami handed to her by the footman behind her.

"Very good! Reward!"

"Thank you Lord for your grace!"

Yun pointed slightly, and the golden-armored soldiers behind him retreated with their fists clasped.

"Queen, the trap is obviously designed to prevent you and me from using the teleportation array in Li Si's bedroom." Ye Yu turned his head to look at Yun.

Yun stood up, straightened his chest, pressed the sword at his waist with one hand, and opened the folded rice paper with the other hand, stopping to examine it.

A criss-crossing picture, densely annotated with many symbols and scattered runes.

She shook her head and thought for a long time, then said to herself in a questioning tone, "This Emperor Taicang has begun to come forward with a lantern."

"Report, Queen, our border scouts are constantly being harassed and attacked by a large group of Taicang light cavalry, and now they can only be released ten miles away."

"Distribute 5,000 light cavalry as scouts and continue to march 50 miles out."

"Report, Queen, a small group of enemy infantry suddenly attacked from ten miles away from the center of the army."

"The central army will split up and go out to meet the enemy."

"Report, Queen, a small group of enemy infantry suddenly attacked from the right side of the army."

"The right army will split up and go out to meet the enemy."

"Report..."

"The entire army must stop resting and set off immediately!" Yun stopped the general who came to report, mounted his warhorse, and gave the order loudly.

"What is your plan of carrying a lantern to the door?" Ye Yu followed on horseback, holding the Overlord Spear; "Queen, what is your plan of carrying a lantern to the door?"

"Da." Xiyun gently squeezed the horse's belly; "Carrying a lantern to the door, it's getting more and more clever."

-

"Your Majesty, Dang Nanzhi requests an audience."

"Xuan."

Dang Nanzhi strode into the bedroom, blowing the rice paper in the room into the air.

"Your Majesty, the Tianze army will reach Taihe City in less than three days." He raised his eyebrows and glanced at Li Xucheng, who was squatting on the side of the hall in chains, with a puzzled look on his face, and continued; "Your Majesty, do you want to withdraw together?"

"What about the previous tactics?"

"The results are minimal, two hundred thousand versus two million, and most of our troops are veterans." Guo Zhuoran responded by shaking his head slightly.

"Well, then add another one." Zhang Mingxuan crumpled up a ball of paper again and threw it to Dang Nanzhi.

Dang Nanzhi opened it with a puzzled look on his face.

"How many orders have I given so far?" Zhang Mingxuan walked to Li Xucheng and watched him set up the formation.

"There are three orders in total,"

"Okay, let's summarize."

"When the enemy advances, we retreat; when the enemy is stationed, we harass; when the enemy is tired, we attack; when the enemy retreats, we pursue."

"Contain and feint, harass and ambush, make a feint to the east and attack in the west, and avoid the enemy's main force."

"Advance and retreat in large steps, lure the enemy deep into our territory, concentrate our forces, and defeat them one by one."

Dang Nanzhi looked puzzled and responded slowly.

"Well, that's about it. I can't think of anything else... I have no other tricks. If I can't win, then there is nothing I can do."

Zhang Mingxuan patted Li Xucheng on the shoulder, raised his head and said to Dang Nanzhi, "Go and tell the generals of each army that they don't have to defend the city to the death. Qi Yuanqinghe has already raised most of the food and fodder, and each army can ask him for it."

"Yes!" Dang Nanzhi responded in a deep voice, clasped his fists and left.